| 24.07.2008 |
|
||||||||
| Sometimes the promise of an event is bigger than the event itself. Barack Obama's speech at Berlin's Victory Column fits into that category. To be sure, the Democratic presidential candidate delivered exactly what he announced: Obama had warned, he wouldn't give a wonkish foreign policy speech. He really didn't. The speech he gave instead is best described by the headline the Drudge Report chose to write about it: love parade. In his speech the Illinois Senator went through a whole laundry list of international hotspots. From Amman to Iran, from Belfast to Burma, from Darfur to Pakistan. No crisis left behind seemed to be the unspoken motto of the speech. And the solution offered to the various global problems was always the same. If we all work together, overcome our differences of the past we can succeed. Some would say these are just platitudes. I disagree. There is nothing wrong with an appeal to renewed international cooperation, especially after the Bush presidency, but it is just a tad vague. And for anyone who has listened to any domestic speeches Obama has given the theme is very familiar: Yes, we can. Again, Obama didn't need to spell out how exactly he would try to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or a detailed plan how he intends to solve the crisis in Darfur. But a little more than 'Let's all be friends' would have been nice. One issue where Obama was trying to be somewhat specific was Afghanistan. He basically called on Germany - without mentioning it by name - to expand its mission in that country. But even on a topic as important to Obama as Afghanistan, his rhetoric was strangely vague, bordering on sloppy. Obama said: "The Afghan people need our troops and your troops; our support and your support to defeat the Taliban and al Qaeda, to develop their economy, and to help them rebuild their nation. We have too much at stake to turn back now." The German government and any other European government that already has troops there can wholeheartedly agree with that sentence and point out that that is exactly what they are doing. If Obama wants more from the European allies, he needs to say it. He needs to say it not just to international leaders, but even more so to international audiences. But perhaps I am being unfair to Obama. Perhaps in such a highly symbolic location and with the media buzz that surrounded the Berlin event, Obama did the one thing that he could do as an American presidential candidate campaigning abroad: give a well crafted, highly symbolic speech that is largely devoid of any substance. |
||||||||
|
||||||||
| 16 Comments |
| I like the part of his Germany trip where he decided not to visit wounded American soldiers because there would be no cameras to show how concerned he could seem on the news. | ||
| Don Tremaine | Homepage | E-Mail | 29.07.2008, 20:37 | ||
| After watching the Berlin speech a few times I thought i would weigh in on what i noticed. First of all the backdrop was breath-taking all corographed nicely even the time of the day blended perfectly with the speech with the evening sun shining down off Baracks skin giving off a golden glow. I relize most of the people were watching a concert but they seemed amazed and quite intrested in this new black JFK had to say . I saw many people cheering him on and waving american flags. I think the expectations of obama keep rising we have seen him give good speeches b4 now its almost as if he has to keep going one up every time to keep up with what he has done in the past. I thought he lived up to the moment. This speech which featured cooperation as its feature line. I thought barack hit the nail on the head when he said the new walls that divide us between imigrants and natives rich nations and poor nations and chirstins muslims jews is the new walls of the 21 centuary and that its important not to continue building these walls rtather tearing them down and working together to meet the challenges that us global citizens face. |
||
| john mcaint | Homepage | 26.07.2008, 19:21 | ||
| B. Hussein Obama is a Marxist covered with a veneer of liberalism. One would hope Americans could see this, but I would hope even more so that Germans could recognize him for what he is. I bet elder Germans know exactly what he is, and are frightened by the prospect. It is ridiculous how illiterate and unversed the masses of voters in America can be. Obama's playbook: The Communist Manifesto. |
||
| Derek J. Huppmann | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 17:05 | ||
| Barack said everything he could say as a candidate. I think he did a super job and showed the world he is capable to lead the US. He is intelligent and has class. On the contrary, McCain was in America bashing him and accusing him of choosing to win a campaign but lose a war. That shows the world how shallow he is to stoop as low as comparing Barack to Castro and other unsavory characters in his ads, throwing a tantrum about the media playing favorites with Obama. How desperate he must be and how unflattering that made him look. I know that if Barack had said anything more or "substance" he would have been accused of being presumptuous and crossing the line, I guarantee that. | ||
| GoBama | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 16:46 | ||
| PA said Hoover haint president no mo | ||
| Jo | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 14:52 | ||
| If Europe is interested, there is a possibility Americans will be willing to forego having the charming, charismatic Obama as president of the U.S. I think we would be willing to make the sacrifice in order for him to become the charismatic Marxist dictator of the E.U. He would certainly be capable of doing for the European Union what Stalin did for the Soviet Union. He would bring everyone in Europe together under a utopian state, and of course Europe could enjoy the ecstasy of peace, love and decadence forevermore. Thank you for the idea, Berliners!!! |
||
| W. Ivy | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 14:25 | ||
| Obama's speech was eloquent and well thought. He has presicely read where to pick up the pieces that Bush has shattered. By making an attempt to reach out to the world and speaking to every day people whole heartedly with earnest intentions and an earnest background, he has embodied the true representation of the American charachter at its best. For the last eight years we have seen the degrading and embarrassing demise of what America can easily become through the social blundering and insincerety of George W. Bush. I realize eloquence alone is sometines little more than being a talented orator and equivocating dioplomat; however, this eloquence of speech that Obama portrays is followed up with eloquence of hard working character. He is a symbol of all hope and what Americans can be when they are at their best. | ||
| Tracy | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 11:48 | ||
| I wonder what is substance? Is it not substance to move soldiers out of Iraq, to pursue global warming, to refocus on Afghanistan. Are this not specific enough or the alternative of giving a detailed analysis of policy positions? I sometimes wonder about the media. | ||
| Adewale Ajadi | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 05:20 | ||
Regrettably, the speech was considerably rot. There was at least one lie and one extremely juvenile misconception. Platitudes that are not examined and tested are revolting. He said something about standing up for values, but he himself didn’t stand, did he, on FISA. After declaring he would filibuster any bill that contained immunity for spying telecoms, he caved right in and rolled right over. He also mouthed what he probably thought was harmless pablum on so called Open Markets. This in the middle of money chaos derived in large part by deregulated rampant speculation and deranged trading. And with traders slyly setting up even more boards, with even more secretive and furtive methods, including dubious and shady money sources. On both these major points, he has been the acceptable front man for highly unacceptable, erroneous and erosive practices. Alas, his speech only confirmed that he will be a pablum candidate while the rot in civil liberties and economic chaos continues. |
||
| MinnieB9 | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 04:58 | ||
| I thought it was a great speech. | ||
| KYJurisDoctor | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 04:19 | ||
| Obama could not give many specifics because he is not the President. He did make one statement that is giving the right wing nuts material to rant about (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity) "I know my country has not perfected itself. At times, we've struggled to keep the promise of liberty and equality for all of our people. We've made our share of mistakes, and there are times when our actions around the world have not lived up to our best intentions." The above statement is what makes Obama a great leader. |
||
| Linda | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 01:23 | ||
| Enschudigung Herr Knigge, aber sind Sie ein Nar? What substance would you have had Obama include in his speech. You call it a "Love Fest", but would you prefer the intolerable sabre rattling of the Bush adminsitration instead? Talk about substance. Just in case you've forgotten, America for the past eight years has basically told Deutschland and Europa to go and "f*&k itself. Is that the sort of substance you are asking from this candidate? | ||
| Ferris J. Anderson, Jr. | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 00:25 | ||
| friends told e the speech was powerful, sensible and inspires new world leadership | ||
| albert | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 00:23 | ||
| Well...........Now you know it too! Obama is an empty suit. Full of hot air and nonsense. Americans know we are on our own. We know Rurope is finished. A culture that would stand idly by and watch the the great grandson of Vincent Van Gogh beheaded at mid-day on a street corner does not deserve to survive. Your children will be forced to year a veil or grow a beard............maybe both. |
||
| Joe Maine | Homepage | E-Mail | 25.07.2008, 00:09 | ||
| IT would not be appropriate for Obama to make specific demands on European allies at this point. Such would be subversive to America's current administration's Foreign Policy. Obama was clear about 3 things: As President, He would listen to Europe, He would cooperate with Europe, and He expected Europe to cooperate with him. | ||
| TheNumantine | Homepage | E-Mail | 24.07.2008, 23:13 | ||
| Obama encompassed the world in that speech, and it is only fair to judge him by it since he is going across the world. He is reaching out to a mass of people and despite what accusation you may cast on his rhetoric, he was being general, all-inclusive to a global audience. Go Obama! I hope he wins. Please visit WhyObama08.org!! | ||
| Aiken Blue | Homepage | E-Mail | 24.07.2008, 23:04 | ||